Cream Legbars

[Fire Ant Farm]

I read in one of the old annuals from the Auto-sexing Poultry Association of Great Britain (circa 1953) that breeders of the auto-sexing breeds were toe punching day old chicks. The cockerels that were they would know which birds had the best down markings and be able to weigh that into the selection process accordingly.

That's a fantastic idea! Most of what I've read on toe punching is more focused on identifying breeding lines with combos of holes, but I like the idea of this for down coloring in combination with leg bands (which will likely give more detailed breeding info anyway). I suppose you could also do it the other way, punching those without good down markings...

While I have some detailed instructions, has anyone here tried it?

(I'm off to do a BYC search of toe punching in the meanwhile...)

- Ant Farm

 

[caychris]

That's a fantastic idea! Most of what I've read on toe punching is more focused on identifying breeding lines with combos of holes, but I like the idea of this for down coloring in combination with leg bands (which will likely give more detailed breeding info anyway). I suppose you could also do it the other way, punching those without good down markings...

While I have some detailed instructions, has anyone here tried it?

(I'm off to do a BYC search of toe punching in the meanwhile...)

- Ant Farm

its just another form of identification bands etc would work as well

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

its just another form of identification bands etc would work as well

Oh, I know, I was just thinking that it is permanent, and wouldn't have to be removed/replaced as the chick grew, or have the risk falling off (and then being eaten) or cutting off circulation/creating leg sores. Then there's wing banding...

Just rolling around the options in my head...

- Ant Farm

 

[ChicKat]

As I'm getting a little cockerel to keep my girls company (soon!), I suppose this means I should join...

- Ant Farm

The more the merrier~

 

[ChicKat]

Oh, I know, I was just thinking that it is permanent, and wouldn't have to be removed/replaced as the chick grew, or have the risk falling off (and then being eaten) or cutting off circulation/creating leg sores. Then there's wing banding...

Just rolling around the options in my head...

- Ant Farm

Have heard some stories about wing bands getting caught on things - and bad results for the chickens. Also I believe that poultry shows don't allow wing-banded chickens...could be wroing on that one...

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

The more the merrier~

I joined.

Have heard some stories about wing bands getting caught on things - and bad results for the chickens. Also I believe that poultry shows don't allow wing-banded chickens...could be wroing on that one...

Oh, yikes. Hadn't thought of that. I suppose I could just hope that they look distinct enough that I'll be able to tell them all apart...

- Ant Farm

 

[fowlman01]

Have heard some stories about wing bands getting caught on things - and bad results for the chickens.  Also I believe that poultry shows don't allow wing-banded chickens...could be wroing on that one...

wing bands are fine in a show.

Walt

 

[dretd]

Thanks guys for your nice words. Im not going any where yet I plan to keep a small amount of my best females and one male over winter. I will decide where to go after that. It just happened that I fell in love with the Plymouth Rocks(as did my family) and it is so hard to work with 2 breeds and do a good job, and not to mention all the males to raise up. So I am torn, I like them both but I do feel the pull toward the Rocks. If I had more land and less neighbors I wouldn't have to decide.

Hi CP- sorry I am so far behind in everything this year and you are just getting a response to a post from last month now, but I couldn't resist...I know why the Barred Rocks are calling you-I loved my BR female. She was one of my very first chickens and was a great layer and very nice to be around. Sadly, I had to euthanize her last year: RIP Splash.

If you ever are traveling through Colorado and want to pick up a hitchhiker, let me know. I have a giant surplus of 'quieter' boys. None are perfect, but I decided to put all the cockerels from this years hatch under the knife with a rooster quieting surgery. Some are fairly quiet, and others...not so much. It has really variable results. Since they all have flaws of one flavor or another, I may just use behavior and how quiet they are as my top two keeper traits when I cull and move on from there. I know its opposite of what you are supposed to do, but quiet chickens make for domestic peace with the family!

PS: your pullets are looking very spectacular, btw.

 

[ChicKat]

I joined.

Oh, yikes. Hadn't thought of that. I suppose I could just hope that they look distinct enough that I'll be able to tell them all apart...

- Ant Farm

I think that legbands - and toe punches would give you what you need to identify them very accurately -- Lots of variety with multi color legbands, left leg or right leg, multi leg bands, even different type of legbands and even individually numbered legbands. (but it seems that in the zip tie stages they need frequent changing doesn't it?

It maybe that the wing-band story I had heard was the one scary - horror story that sticks in your mind. Maybe some BYC searching will give other results.

wing bands are fine in a show.

Walt

Oh thanks Walt! It is good to get the information from the Pro.

Also for Cream Legbar people who read this but happen to not be a Club member (thanks for joining Ant Farm! -- did you get the survey ? PM me if not. )

 

[caychris]

I think that legbands - and toe punches would give you what you need to identify them very accurately -- Lots of variety with multi color legbands, left leg or right leg, multi leg bands, even different type of legbands and even individually numbered legbands. (but it seems that in the zip tie stages they need frequent changing doesn't it?

It maybe that the wing-band story I had heard was the one scary - horror story that sticks in your mind. Maybe some BYC searching will give other results.

Oh thanks Walt! It is good to get the information from the Pro.

Also for Cream Legbar people who read this but happen to not be a Club member (thanks for joining Ant Farm! -- did you get the survey ? PM me if not. )

One person I heard of used orthodontic rubberbands at the chick stages.

If you are doing lots of birds banding can be problematic but Ive found that its pretty easy to have zip bands last for weeks if you are careful even on chicks


When I was weighing my chicks weekly I would check the bands and change as needed. As they are older the bands can be looser and do not require changing very much at all.

In breeding keeping careful watch and good records is essential to getting the results you want.

Im fairly convinced that separating boys and girls at 8 weeks and feeding separately does help. Giving them and early higher protein diet seems to help their development quite a bit.

Nutrition for the early chick development seems to be a key factor.